132 
NEW HVP0NITR0US ETHER. 
ART. XXI. — NOTICE RESPECTING A NEW HYPONITROUS 
ETHER FROM PYROXYLIC SPIRIT. By Dr. Robert Hare, 
Professor of Chemistry, &c, 
(Extracted from the Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, 
Vol. ii. No. 21.) 
Dr. Hare made an oral communication respecting a new 
ethereal liquid which he had succeeded in obtaining. 
He mentioned that he had procured by means of hyponi- 
trite of soda, diluted sulphuric acid, and pyroxylic spirit, an 
ethereal liquid in which methyl (C 3 H 3 ) might be inferred 
to perform the same part as ethyl (C 4 H 5 ) in hyponitrous 
ether. In fact, by substituting pyroxylic spirit for alcohol, 
this new ether was elaborated by the process for hyponitrous 
ether, of which he had published an account in the Society's 
Transactions, Vol. vii., Part 2. 
The compound which was the subject of his communica- 
tion, had a great resemblance to alcoholic hyponitrous ether, 
similarly evolved, in color, smell and taste ; although there 
was still a difference sufficient to prevent the one from being 
mistaken for the other. 
Proxylic spirit appeared to have a greater disposition than 
alcohol to combine with the ether generated from it, probably 
in consequence of its having less affinity for water. The 
boiling point appeared to be nearly the same in both of the 
ethers ; and in both, in consequence of the escape of an 
ethereal gas, an effervescence, resembling that of ebullition, 
was observed to take place at a lower temperature than that 
at which the boiling point became stationary. The ethereal 
gas, of which Dr. Hare had given an account in his commu- 
nication respecting hyponitrous ether, seemed to have escaped 
the attention of the European chemists ; and, even after it had 
